Lesson 1

Introduction
to
Indigenous
Creative Crafts
Introduction
Throughout Philippine history, craftsmanship and
its different forms have always been prevalent. The
Filipinos have an innate inclination to create,
exemplifying the state of being engaged in their craft
and taking a sense of joy and pride in their work. The
Filipino craftsman dedicates himself to his art and
telling the story of the Philippines, bearing its truest
essence-its soul for the world to see.
Blessed with natural resources, Filipino craftsmen
are able to come-up with magnificent product that
tells a million story not just about their lives but the
culture of their place. Clearly, this reflects Filipino
crafts that magnify labors of love and patience. These
are evident in the products of their skillful hands and
imaginative minds. Creative crafts in the Philippines
do not only satisfy our senses, but each artwork
speaks of the passion and active involvement of the
artists in visualizing, connecting, and appreciating the
culture and the creative manipulation of the objects
around.
Do you have what it takes to become a craftsman? In this
chapter you will learn the brief overview of Philippine Arts
and Crafts and its significance and relationship to the
Hospitality Course. It is then expected that you will be able to
find yourself become an agent of this culture-filled journey.
As you will come to know more of these arts and crafts, be
ready to become your most creative self for you will be
creating your own handicraft. This journey transcends
beyond “knowing” history or “applying” discussed topics,
rather, it is an “awakening” of your soul in taking
responsibility to promote, conserve, and develop Philippine
indigenous creative crafts.
Indigenous
Creative Crafts
in the Philippines
Arts and Crafts in the Philippines refer to the
various forms of the arts that have developed and
accumulated in the Philippines from the beginning of
civilization in the country up to the present era. They
reflect the range of artistic influences on the country's
culture, including indigenous forms of the arts, and
how these influences have honed the country's arts.
The traditional arts in the Philippines encompass
folk architecture, maritime transport, weaving,
carving, folk performing arts, folk (oral) literature, folk
graphic and plastic arts, ornament, textile, or fiber art,
pottery, and other artistic expressions of traditional
culture.
Folk Architecture
Folk architecture in the Philippines differ significantly
per ethnic group, where the structures can be made of
bamboo, wood, rock, coral, rattan, grass, and other
materials. These abodes can range from the hut-style
bahay kubo which utilizes vernacular mediums in
construction, the highland houses called bale that may
have four to eight sides, depending on the ethnic
association.
Daru Jampangan ( palace of
Flowers), the royal residence
of the ruler of the Tausug
Bahay kubo-style Mabini

House
Dakay house, the oldest
surviving coral houses in the
Philippines still used today (c.
1887)
Bahay na bato houses in

Intramuros, Manila
Maritime transport
Maritime transport in the Philippines includes boat houses, boat-
making, and maritime traditions. These structures, traditionally made
of wood chosen by elders and crafts folks, were used as the main
vehicles of the people, connecting one island to another, where the
seas and rivers became the people's roads. Although boats are
believed to have been used in the archipelago for thousands of years
since the arrival of humans through water, the earliest evidence of
boat-making and the usage of boats in the country continues to be
dated as 320 AD through the carbon-dating of the Butuan boats that
are identified as remains of a gigantic balangay.
A large karakoa outrigger
warship, 1711
A balangay reconstruction
A paraw in Palawan
An owong at Lake Sebu

Weaving
Weaving is an ancient art form that continue in
the Philippines today, with each ethnic group having
their distinct weaving techniques. The weaving arts
are composed of basket weaving, back-strap loom
weaving, headgear weaving, fishnet weaving, and
other forms of weaving
Cloth and mat weaving
Expensive textiles are made through the
intricate and difficult process called back-strap
looming. Fibers such as Cotton, abaca, banana
fiber, grass, and palm fiber are used in the
Filipino weaving arts.
Binakol T’nalak A double ikat mat
from Sulu
Basketry
The fine art of basket weaving in the
Philippines has developed intricate designs
and forms directed for specific purposes such
as harvesting, rice storage, travel package.
sword case, and so on. The art is believed to
have arrived in the archipelago due to human
migration, where those at the north were the
first to learn the art form.
Various rice baskets
Filipino tobacco basket

Carving
The art of carving in the Philippines
focuses on woodcarving and folk non-clay
sculptures.
Woodcarving
Indigenous woodcarving is one of the most notable
traditional arts in the Philippines, with some crafts in
various ethnic groups date back prior to Hispanic
arrival with perhaps the oldest surviving today are
fragments of a wooden boat dating to 320 AD.
Kulintang from Mindanao
Two standing rice deities bulul - Philippines - Ifugao
Stone, ivory, and other
carvings
Stone carving is a priced art form in the
Philippines, even prior to the arrival of Western
colonizers, as seen in the stone likha and larauan or
tao-tao crafts of the natives. These items usually
represents either an ancestor or a deity who aids the
spirit of a loved one to go into the afterlife properly.
Carved marbles from Romblon Stone carving at the façade of
Miagao Church, world
heritage site and a National
Cultural Treasure
Folk graphic and plastic arts
The fields under folk graphic and plastic arts

are tattooing, folk writing, and folk drawing and
painting.
Folk writing (calligraphy )
The Philippines has numerous indigenous scripts

collectively called as suyat, each of which has their own
forms and styles of calligraphy. Various ethno-linguistic
groups in the Philippines prior to Spanish colonization
in the 16th century up to the independence era in the
21st century have used the scripts with various
mediums. By the end of colonialism, only four of the
suyat scripts survived and continue to be used by
certain communities in everyday life.
Folk paintings
Folk paintings, like folk drawings, are works of art
that usually include depictions of folk culture.
Evidences suggest that the people of the archipelago
have been painting and glazing their potteries for
thousands of years. Pigments used in paintings range
from gold, yellow, reddish purple, green, white, blue-
green, to blue.
Ornament, textile, or fiber art
Ornament, textile, or fiber art includes a

variety of fields, ranging from hat making,
mask-making, accessory-making, to
ornamental metal crafts, and many others.
Hat-making, mask-making, and
related arts
Hat-making is a fine art in many communities
throughout the country, with the gourd-based tabungaw
of Abra and Ilocos being one of the most prized.
Indigenous Filipino hats were widely used in the daily lives
of the people until the 20th century when they were
replaced by Westem-style hats. They are currently wom
during certain occasions, such as festivals, rituals, or in
theatre.
The art of mask creation is both an indigenous
and imported tradition, as certain communities have
mask-making practices prior to colonization, while
some mask-making traditions were introduced
through trade from parts of Asia and the West.
Today, these masks are worn mostly during festivals,
Moriones Festival, and MassKara Festival.
Accessory-making
Accessories in the Philippines are almost always worn with their
respective combination of garments, with some being used as
accessories for houses, altars, and other objects.
Pottery
The art of pottery, categorized into ceramic making, clay pot-
making, and folk clay sculpture, has long been a part of various
cultures in the Philippines, with evidence pointing to a pottery
culture dating around 3,500 years ago. Important pottery artifacts
from the Philippines include the Manunggul Jar (890-710 BCE) and
the Maitum anthropomorphic pottery (5 BC-225 AD).
Manunggul Jar from Palawan Maitum Anthropomorphic Jar
(890-710 BC), a National No. 1 (5 BC-370 AD), a National
Cultural Treasure Cultural Treasure
THANK YOU !
PRESENTED BY :
ALVOILA JENNYFEL AYONG JERICCA MAE

ANIEVES AILEEN PATRISH BALLESPIN CHRISTIAN
ARBIZO SHANERYL LAURENCE

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Introduction

Bahay kubo-style Mabini

Bahay na bato houses in

An owong at Lake Sebu

Filipino tobacco basket

The fields under folk graphic and plastic arts

The Philippines has numerous indigenous scripts

Ornament, textile, or fiber art includes a

ALVOILA JENNYFEL AYONG JERICCA MAE

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